One of the Devil's Hangouts

727 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:24 Then the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel. I don't mean to give Araunah a bad rap here, but he reminds me of the devil. Look where he is hanging out! At the threshing floor! This is one of the devils' favorite places to hang out, in order to put our faith to the test by sifting. Remember Peter in Luke 22:31? “And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.” It was the devil's hope that he could separate Peter from the love of Christ, by making him think that Jesus couldn't possibly forgive him for his sin. Remember Job? Same kind of deal, the devil put Job through all sorts of trials hoping to shipwreck his faith and separate him from the love of God. When Jesus went out to the wilderness, He too was sifted by the prince of this world with the three temptations of lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life. In all three, he sought to get Jesus to take the easy way out! “No need to be hungry Jesus, turn these stones into bread.” “Bow down to me now and I will give you all the kingdoms of the world!” “Make a spectacular show of Yourself by safely jumping off the top of the temple.” There's no need for you to suffer and die on the cross, you can have it all now!” And he wasn't done yet, he came at Jesus again in the Garden of Gethsemane tempting him to find an easier way out. Araunah offers the threshing floor to David at no price, an easy way out, but David says, “I will not offer up anything that costs me nothing.” And the Son of God said the same thing for our sake as well. You see there are no shortcuts. The wages of sin is death, and someone had to pay the price, and because Jesus didn't take any shortcuts, you and I have been handed the gift of eternal life. What kind of love is this? How can you say no to this Man who out of sheer love for you, said no to the shortcuts and paid the full price of your sins? Are you being sifted? Tempted to ditch the faith? Learn from Job and Peter and hang in there knowing that nothing is able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8: 39

We Give Thee But Thine Own

725 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:22,23 “Now Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems good to him. Look, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing implements and the yokes of the oxen for wood. 23 "All these, O king, Araunah has given to the king." And Araunah said to the king, "May the LORD your God accept you." (2 Sam 24:22,23) Araunah, who is also called Ornan in 1 Chron 21:18 is a farmer. The king pays a God-ordered visit to him for the purpose of making a sacrifice that would end the terrible plague that God had sent to Israel because of the sin of David. Ornan is certainly aware of this plague that has already resulted in the deaths of 70,000 men, and he sees this as an opportunity for him to do something about. David came to the threshing floor with no animals to sacrifice and no wood to kindle a fire, not even any grain to offer up to the Lord, and so Ornan says, “Here I have what you need for a sacrifice, take it, and may God receive it and stop the plague.” This was not an inexpensive gesture on the part of Ornan. He was giving up some pretty pricey animals and equipment for the sake of stemming the plague. We get further details on this exchange with David in 1Ch 21:23 And Ornan said to David, "Take it to yourself, and let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes. Look, I also give you the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing implements for wood, and the wheat for the grain offering; I give it all." “I give it all.” Ornan evidently understood that everything he had was a gift from God and therefore was willing to place it in the Lord''s hands. This reminds me of an old hymn entitled “We Give Thee But Thine Own We give thee but thine own, whate'er the gift may be; all that we have is thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from thee. May we thy bounties thus as stewards true receive, and gladly, as thou blessest us, to thee our first-fruits give. To comfort and to bless, to find a balm for woe, to tend the lonely in distress, is angels' work below. The captive to release, to God the lost to bring, to teach the way of life and peace - it is a Christ-like thing. And we believe thy Word, though dim our faith may be; whate'er for thine we do, O Lord, we do it unto thee. Ornan was willing to give it all as a balm for the woe and distress of the people. The lesson for all of us is be willing to give, “whatever that gift may be.

A Sacrifice Was Required

724 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:19 So David, according to the word of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded. 20 Now Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming toward him. So Araunah went out and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. 21 Then Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" And David said, "To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people." (2 Sam 24:19-21) David, following Gad's instructions seeks to build an altar on the threshing floor. Notice how he ties in the sacrifice, to the plague being withdrawn from the people. God had already determined that the plague would be stopped. He had told the angel that “It is enough,” but David didn't know that. All he knew was Gad told him to build an altar and make a sacrifice. When the plague of sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden, God knew that He would one day put a stop to the curse. One Day He would say again, “It is enough!” He told Adam and Eve: Ge 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." However, a once and for all sacrifice would be required to “withdraw” the plague of sin, and it would require the shedding of blood as foreshadowed by the skins of animals that were provided BY GOD for Adam and Eve's new wardrobe. The ultimate sacrifice to withdraw the plague of sin from the world was God's own Son, Jesus Christ: and when the time was right God sent His Son to that very same threshing floor to pay the price of lifting the plague: Ga 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Thank You God for the gift of Your Son. And the opportunity to be clothed with the robe of righteousness provided by Jesus. Help us to spread the word that the plague is ended. Move in the hearts of people that they may receive Your free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus.

The Place Where the Wheat Is Separated From the Chaff

723 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:18 And Gad came that day to David and said to him, "Go up, erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." God, speaking through Gad instructs David to build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. This is no ordinary place, it is Mt Moriah, the site of the future temple built by Solomon. We read about it in 2Ch 3:1, “Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.” How apt that the altar would be built on a threshing floor on Mt Moriah. This was the same place where Abraham went to offer up his son Isaac, it was the Amen place where Abraham's faith was accounted as righteousness, and of course it was the future sight of the crucifixion of Jesus, where all things are accounted as righteousness. A threshing floor is where the wheat is separated from the chaff. Abraham's faith was found to be real on the mountain as he trusted God to provide a lamb. And our faith is tested in this same place. Will we trust that Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world or not? We must all come to the threshing floor on Mt Moriah, because it is what we do with Jesus that determines our final fate. On that final Judgment Day those who reject Jesus and the message of the cross will be like chaff, scattered in the wind and tossed into the fire, but those who trust Jesus will be brought safely into the storehouse of heaven! This is what John the Baptist said about Jesus in Mt 3:12 "His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." We must all come to Mt Moriah, what will it be for you? Wheat for the barn or chaff for the fire. Receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior and live!

Don't Forget the Cost

723 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:18 And Gad came that day to David and said to him, "Go up, erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." It was the third day of the plague. 70,000 men had died and David had taken full responsibility for his sin and he begged the Lord to stop the plague and put it on he and his family rather than the people. That very day the prophet Gad was sent to David telling him to build an altar. David was to offer up a sacrifice to God. This was a sign from the Lord that the plague would be stopped. There would be peace once again between God and His people. An invitation from God to sacrifice is a good thing. It is a plea for peace and at the same time, an affirmation of peace, and an expression of thanksgiving for the peace between God and man. The OT church had an open invitation to sacrifice to God, but sometimes those offerings became rote, second rate, after thoughts. Such was the case in the days of Malachi where we read: “And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?" Says the LORD of hosts. (Mal 1:8) This is an easy trap to fall into even today as we start taking our peace with God for granted, forgetting the cost of His great sacrifice. God continues to invite us to sacrifice on a daily basis for the sake of remembering His mercies in establishing peace with our own souls. Of course we no longer offer up animals, rather we have the privilege to offer up ourselves as spiritual sacrifices. Ro 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Make this a daily habit! Recount God's mercies in establishing peace with you and then simply pray, “Lord, here I am, what is it that you would have me do.” Then keep your eyes and ears open for those opportunities to serve Him. It is indeed, your reasonable service.

It's Not Just About Putting the Bad Guys Behind Bars

722 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:17 Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, "Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father's house." (2 Sam 24:17) King David looks at his subjects and sees them dropping like flies as the three day pandemic continues. He realizes anew that it was his sin of numbering the people that was the flashpoint for the discipline of God and so he appeals to God to spare the people and put the punishment onto himself. History is replete with examples of rulers making wrong choices and the citizens suffering for it. (Ought to make us think twice before we cast our ballots!) It's no guarantee of course but we certainly should seek out qualified candidates with platforms and ideology that align with godly standards. Something we should remember though about this incident is it started with God's displeasure with the PEOPLE. As we read in 2Sa 24:1 Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah." Israel had strayed from God and needed to be disciplined so God used the ruler David (and his poor choices) to bring that punishment about. This action on God's part puts a different spin on Ro 13:4, “For he (governmental authority) is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. This verse is not limited to governing authorities putting individual lawbreakers behind bars, rather we should understand that sometimes God allows us to have bad rulers to execute His wrath or discipline against an erring land that hosts His erring church. 1Pe 4:17 says, “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? In short, as it concerns our rulers, we often simply get what we deserve!

Discipline Is Not Punishment, It Is Training

721 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:16 “And when the angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, "It is enough; now restrain your hand." And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” (2 Sam 24:16) “It is enough.” Three words from God the Father that we all long to hear when we are being disciplined. It's like a parent who says, I am going to give you 10 spanks on the butt, but stops short of that mark, saying, “It is enough” Only the Father can utter them for He alone knows when we've had enough. Only He knows when the trial, the tribulation, the discipline, has accomplished its purpose. And only an omnipotent God can restrain the hand that brings trial and tribulation, and discipline. A couple of things we can be sure of. First of all, just living in the world will cause us to bump into sin and it's effects of trial and tribulation. Jesus said in Joh 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Secondly, as children of God, we will experience discipline. The NIV puts it this way in Heb 12:7 “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? The word “discipline” here in the Greek means, “tutorage, education, or training.” So, let's remember this about discipline! Discipline is not punishment, it is training! Training that sometimes comes by way of affirming right behavior or correcting wrong behavior. No matter the form of trial, no matter the length of the trial remember as David did, that we have a merciful heavenly Father who knows when “it is enough.” Trust that and believe that as you cast your cares upon Him believing that He cares for you (1 Pet 5:7)

Is It Time To Pray and Fast?

720 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:15,16 So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from the morning till the appointed time. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of the people died. 16 And when the angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, "It is enough; now restrain your hand." And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. A pandemic rages through all of Israel. 70,000 men are dead and after three days it stops. Jerusalem is spared the ravages of deadly disease, only because that mercy that David was relying on came through. God said, “it is enough,” and the plague stopped. On October 17, 2015 the nation of Zambia declared a day of fasting and prayer. Bars were shut down and all football matches were shut down! Can you imagine such a thing occurring in the United States on a Sunday? Why did they do this? Well, they have declared themselves a Christian nation and they are in the midst of a currency crisis. Food prices have soared, the price of copper, (their main export) has tumbled, and they have experienced crippling power shortages because the water levels in Lake Kariba, where hydropower plants supply much of the nations energy are extremely low. Bishop Simon Chihana president of the International Fellowship of Christian Churches in Zambia said, “ Let us pray to God to have mercy on us. God has done that before and He can do it again!” I read this and find myself wondering, “What would it take to bring America to its collective knees?” Zambia is a nation that obviously gives glory to God acknowledging that He is in control and able to put an end to their crisis. They believe Joe 2:13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. 14 Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him-” Who knows if he will relent? Only those who humble themselves and pray! 2Ch 7:14 "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. If the citizens of Zambia can call for a day of prayer, cannot the church in America do the same? Or do we need to wait for things to get worse?

Written For Our Admonition

719 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:14 “And David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man." (2 Sam 24:14) David has been given a choice for the punishment of his sin. Years of famine, months of losing at war, or days of pestilence. No wonder David was in great distress, this was not going to be pretty. We have a difficult time in America grasping the horror of famine, we've really never experienced one of biblical proportions. We've seen the pictures of famines in other places, but even then we can't grasp the reality of it all. The Great Famine of China which occurred in the early 1960's resulted in the slow, painful death of an estimated 43 million people! Famines are usually a combination of extreme weather conditions and gross mismanagement by the regimes of men. His next choice was three months of losing war. The worst battle in the history of warfare is said to be the battle of Stalingrad in WW II. AN estimated 2 million lives were lost in that battle. Get the picture? War and famine are never pretty. Man's basic instinct for survival can bring about unspeakable barbaric acts. Pestilence: The worst recorded plague in the history of mankind was the Black Plague in the 1300's which resulted in an estimated 75 million deaths! Famine, war, or plague. Tremendous suffering no matter how you look at it. No wonder David was distressed! Of the three choices, only pestilence removes the inherent wickedness of man from the equation. Pestilence knows no economic boundaries and even the powerful are susceptible to it's effects. So David wisely chooses pestilence relying on the mercy of God. Now some may say, “Merciful God? How can a merciful God exact such punishment on a nation for the sin of their leader?” Don't go there. Remember what was written in 1Co 10:11 Now all these (OT) things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. The point is sin has consequences and will be accounted for on the Last Day. Those who are in Christ will not be punished, (plagued) but those who reject Him will live in eternal punishment. A punishment that is basically a total absence of the goodness and mercy of God! So let the pictures of the ravages of famine, war, and pestilence be etched in your mind, because hell will be even worse! Then run to Jesus and be saved!

Which Punishment Would You Choose?

719 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:12,13 "Go and tell David, 'Thus says the LORD: "I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you."'" 13 So Gad came to David and told him; and he said to him, "Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee three months before your enemies, while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' plague in your land? Now consider and see what answer I should take back to Him who sent me." (2 Sam 24:12,13) David's sin, in taking the census, has been affirmed by Gad, a prophet of God, and now the loving heavenly Father feels it is necessary to discipline David for his sin. It is interesting that this time, the Father gives His child, David, a choice in the matter. It is much like an earthly father giving his child a choice of punishment for misbehaving. “You can be grounded for a week, or you can lose your social media privileges, or you can be spanked.” Of course, David's options were much more serious than the ordinary discipline of our children. Famine, defeat in war, or disease. People are going to die as a result of this punishment. The first thing I notice about these choices is the duration of each. If David chooses famine for his punishment, it will last for years. If he chooses war, it will last for months, and if he chooses pestilence, it will last for just three days. I don't know about you, but I am all about the short duration. It's like when I go swimming in Lake Michigan. I don't make it a long drawn out process of entering the water, I just dive right in and get it over with. Even as a youngster, I always preferred spankings over the long drawn out “groundings.” They were painful, but at least they were short. But you know what? Maybe a better response would be to fire a question back at God? “Father, which one would be the best one to teach me the lesson I need to learn?” And I think I know the answer. It would be, “Any of the above.” Because God's discipline, no matter what it may be is always grounded in His perfect love. Pr 3:12 says, “For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.”

Conviction Or Condemnation?

717 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:10,11, “ And David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly." 11 Now when David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,” I don't want to get into a detailed account about the difference between Holy Spirit conviction and conscience, but there is a difference and it is important to note. Bakers Evangelical dictionary says this about conscience: “ Conscience is an aspect of self-awareness that produces the pain and/or pleasure we "feel" as we reflect on the norms and values we recognize and apply. Conscience is not an outside voice. It is a inward capacity humans possess to critique themselves because the Creator provided this process as a means of moral restraint for his creation. So why do I bring this up in light of this text? Because David's heart (conscience) “condemned” him. My friend have you not read that in Christ there is no condemnation? (Rom 8:1) The Holy Spirit “convicts” us of sin but does not condemn us, rather He leads us to repentance, forgiveness, restoration, and healing. Our conscience is greatly influenced by society customs and mores and can lead us to self-condemnation or self-gratification as we just seek peace by “fitting in.” This self-gratification is becoming more and more evident in our land today, it is as Paul warned Timothy: 1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, Here's my point: You can never rely solely on your conscience. It may condemn your behavior or applaud it, in accordance with society's accepted rules of behavior, but your behavior must always, in the final analysis, be measured with Holy Spirit conviction of God's accepted rules of behavior. God didn't leave David in his self-condemnation. He sent a prophet the very next morning to let him know for certain how his actions measured up with the Word of God! Our culture has wandered far from the guidelines laid out in Scripture, and in many cases, searing our consciences. Let us return to the guidelines as found in Holy Writ.

What Is This Thing Called Iniquity?

715 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:10 And David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly." (2 Sam 24:10) Iniquity. We often see the word used in Scripture, but we seldom use it today in our “Christianese” language. The Hebrew word is Ay von, spelled awon, and it comes from a root word that means to deviate from the proper path. It's primary meaning is perversity, or depraved action. We most often use the term “perversion” in the context of abnormal sexual behavior. In that context perversion is a deviation from the proper path of sexual expression as laid out in the Word of God. But perversion is not limited to sexual sin. The fact is we all have deviated from the proper path. We all have committed iniquity (sin) and fallen short of the glory of God. We all, (since the fall of Adam and Eve) have strayed from the proper moral path that God has set before us in His Word. This straying, (sin) separates us from God, and we, like David need to be convinced of our meanderings from the proper paths and then take them to God asking Him, as David did, to “take them away.” But there's even more to this word “iniquity,” it not only includes the specific sin, but also its consequences! The chief consequence of sin is the punishment associated with it. When I misbehaved as a child, my parents punished me. There were consequences for my actions. They disciplined me in an attempt to teach me the proper path. So it is with God. Heb 12:6 tells us, “For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves,” David was asking God to forgive his sin and he was asking for mercy in regards to his punishment. It's certainly okay to do that. And God may indeed pass on punishing us for our wanderings. But however God chooses to deal with our iniquities, we can be certain that His motivation behind it is love. It's always “for our own good! So let us be quick to confess, confident that we are in the hands of a perfect loving Father.

Don't Ignore the Prickings

714 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the army. Therefore Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel. 5 And they crossed over the Jordan and camped in Aroer, on the right side of the town which is in the midst of the ravine of Gad, and toward Jazer. 6 Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi; they came to Dan Jaan and around to Sidon; 7 and they came to the stronghold of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went out to South Judah as far as Beersheba. 8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king. And there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men. 10 And David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly." In spite of advice from his military commanders, David presses on with his orders for a census. It takes Joab a little over 9 months to complete the task. When the deed is done, David's heart condemned him. His heart was smitten, the Hebrew word implies a sharp striking like a clap. His conscience was pricked. Now just think about that word. Think about the last time you were pricked by a thorn or a needle. It was sharp, quick pain that got your attention wasn't it? These prickings should not be ignored. They are reminders that can be verified by the word of God, that you have taken a course of action that is wrong! When Peter preached on that first day of Pentecost, his audience was reminded of the actions they had taken against Jesus and in Ac 2:37 we read, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do?” When Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was reminded of all the wrongs he had done in persecuting the church, Jesus asked him in “why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” Friend don't harden your heart against these prickings. Stop and consider what is causing them. Be willing then like David to confess them as sin before God and imploring Him for His abundant mercy!

What's Your Motivation?

713 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:1-3, “Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah." 2 So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, "Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know the number of the people." 3 And Joab said to the king, "Now may the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times more than there are, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king desire this thing?" (2 Sam 24:1-3) Great question Joab? What's your motivation David? We would do well to ask ourselves that same question before we take action in our own day to day business. A quick test of all our actions is to ask ourselves, “Will my actions be pleasing to God? Many times we opt for pleasing ourselves (men) rather than God: Ga 1:10 says, “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. Jesus said in Lu 16:15, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” A good place to start in determining whether our actions are pleasing to God is to get out a Bible Concordance and look up the words, “abomination” and “hate.” For instance in Pr 6:16-19, we read, “These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. This is not the complete list of things that God hates, there are many more. God hates divorce. (Mal 2:16) Sexual sin is also displeasing to Him and HE urges us to distance ourselves from it: Flee sexual immorality. (1 Cor 6:18) Bottom line God is not pleased with sin. Bottom line we are all guilty of these things. What to do? Remember that there is no sin that Jesus did not pay for on the cross, then trusting in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, confess those sins, agree with god that they are sins and receive His forgiveness: 1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Satan is on A Leash

712 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:1 Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah." This is puzzling and fascinating at the same time. God's anger was kindled and so He moves David to take a census. Here's the thing about a census. It required a tax on the people that were being counted. Ex 30:12, 13 says, "When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them. 13 "This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs). The half-shekel shall be an offering to the LORD.” Please note that it is imperative that this census include a tax. If the tax isn't levied and collected, the leader is inviting a plague to come upon the people. With that said, I also find it interesting that in this reading, we are told that “God moved David” to take the census, but in 1Ch 21:1 we read, “Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.” So which is it? Did God move David or Satan? The best answer is God allowed Satan to act and then ultimately used it for His glory. It is similar to the situation in Job. The devil asked permission of God to sift Job through trial and tribulation and got it, (with God imposed restrictions) Job 1:12, “And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." Ultimately God was glorified in the situation. We know that Satan also desired to sift Peter with trial and tribulation Lu 22:31 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." Take heart from these passages, especially when you feel like Job or Peter knowing that Satan is on a God-ordained leash, he can only go as far as your loving Father allows!

Let Your hands Not Be Idle

711 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:1 Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel,” We aren't told what it was that aroused the anger of God against Israel, but we know that God is slow to anger. We know that His anger is often aroused when His people drift away from Him, and often this drifting occurs during times of peace and prosperity. As the old English proverbs says, “Idle hands are the devils workshop.” it was idleness that led to the worship of the golden calf, and it was idleness that led to David's sin with Bathsheba. We need to be on guard against it. Let's list some other verses that deal with this subject matter: Ec 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. Ro 12:11, Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Col 3:23 - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 1 Sam 10:7- Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you. Eccl 11:6 - Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. Do you get the drift? Yes enjoy the blessings of God! Thank and praise Him for any peace and prosperity you are experiencing, but don't forget the words of Jesus in Lu 9:62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Beware of idleness. Press on! Finish the race! Receive the crown! Say with the Apostle Paul: 2Ti 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Are We Drifting Away?

711 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:1 Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel,” Again. This isn't the first time that God's anger was aroused against His people. The King James uses the word “kindled.” Think about that. Kindling isn't a raging fire, but it's the first step. It's the start of a fire, the awakening of a fire if you will. Therefore, Israel had done something that awakened the wrath of God. We aren't told what caused this kindling, but one thing we know about the character of God is that He is “slow to anger.” The phrase “slow to anger” as it concerns God is found six times in the New King James Bible. Joe 2:13 says, “So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. This admonition to “return to the Lord,” would speak then of a drifting away by the people. This drifting away is a common problem of the church especially in times of peace and prosperity, and this is what the people were experiencing at the end of David's reign. There is an old English proverb that says, “idle hands are the devils' workshop.” This proverb is born out in several places in Scripture. For instance what did the people do in their idleness while waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain? They fashioned a golden calf and worshiped it. And was not the way paved for David to sin with Bathsheba through his own idleness? Pr 6:10 says, “ A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep- 11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man. The church in America has been blessed with peace and prosperity. Has this led to spiritual idleness? Have we drifted away from the Lord? Are we basking in His grace while ignoring those things which His Word tells us to do? Has His anger been kindled? These are questions worth pondering for the sake of ourselves and our children.

The Valiant Act of Uriah

710 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 23:39 and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all. Were you expecting this? Were you expecting to hear Uriah the Hittite's name on the list of David's valiant men? Kind of caught me by surprise. It's not that I didn't think Uriah was valiant. The word valiant means “strong,” and Uriah exhibited great strength of character when he refused a conjugal visit with his wife, when David was trying to cover up his sin with Bathsheba. He said, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing." (2 Sam 11:11) This was a great sacrifice on his part as he chose to abstain from personal pleasure for the sake of identifying with the lack of like opportunity for his fellow soldiers. Such acts are regarded as valiant in the eyes of the Lord. Think about that the next time you have opportunity to show compassion on someone less fortunate than you. We are blessed to have many opportunities to spend ourselves on the pleasures of life, but what about those who don't? What if we would look for opportunities to identify with their lack by “paying our blessings forward?” That would be a noteworthy act of valor! Why, just giving a cup of cold water in the name of Jesus is an act of valor in that it is time and water that you could have spent on yourself! Jesus said in Mt 10:42 "And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward." One more thing, David's inclusion of Uriah on this list must have stung him. It must have pained him to be reminded again of his awful deed against Uriah. But by the grace of God he was able to do it. We too are often stung by reminders of our past sins, but being able to talk about them demonstrates that we, like David have a deep understanding of the complete forgiveness that God offers us through Christ!